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The Canada-Austria hockey game at the Sochi Games is "a joke," Don Cherry said during the first intermission of Friday's preliminary round game.

Cherry, bedecked in a goofy hat he suggested fit the style of the game, said the players were going "half-speed" in an opening period during which Canada grabbed a 2-0 lead.

"I've had tougher practices," Cherry said during his Coach's Corner segment.

"That's a joke, that game out there tonight, as far as I'm concerned."

If the Olympic teams are sluggish, few could blame them: the NHL players flew from North America earlier this week and Canada opened the tournament with a win over Norway just 24 hours before Friday's game.

The NHL schedule usually has each team on the ice three or four times a week, with limited back-to-back outings.

Canada next plays Finland on Monday.

To Cherry's point, if Canada returns to the gold-medal game on Feb. 23 it will have played six games over a 10-day period.